ICE Sightings at NHL Camps

By Jeff Bromley

September 14th, 2000

It is only now that we are seeing the fulleffect of the NHL expansion agenda ishaving on the junior hockey scene. Withthis year’s addition of two memberclubs, the Minnesota Wild andColumbus Blue Jackets, along with theirexpansion cousins in Nashville andAtlanta over the past two seasons, thetrickle down effect is starting to takeshape. Some examples, Kootenay ICEregular’s Steve McCarthy and ZdenekBlatny, in Chicago and Atlanta’s camprespectively.

In McCarthy’s case, someaccounts actually suggest that the Trailnative is having a good camp, but not asgood as last year, which earned him afive regular season game look with theHawks last year. Reports also state thatMcCarthy has fully recovered from theseason-ending shoulder injury that hesuffered last winter and that he is all butpenciled into the Hawks line-up beingpaired with Chicago’s number onerearguard Boris Mironov on the numberone power-play unit. The odds onMcCarthy coming back to the ICE thisseason? The smart money says no. Evenif there are some questions onMcCarthy’s statues in Chicago at sometime early on in the season, I think thatthe Hawks will give him everyopportunity to maintain a spot on theroster. The only chance that I seeMcCarthy coming back is that if itbecomes blatantly obvious that he’s notdeveloping at that level, thus earning atrip back to junior at the quarter or mid-season mark.

Reports on Blatny out ofthe Thrashers camp are more mediocre. Although showing flashes of offensivebrilliance that was evident with the ICEgame in and game out last season,Blatny hasn’t really stood out amongcandidates looking for a roster spot inAtlanta. The irony is that the Thrashersare still in expansion mode and areconsequently still a very average hockeyclub. Their short history demonstratesthat they might be able to take a risk ona player with some offensive potential, ala first overall pick last year PatrickStefan, who had a troublesome yearwhen some said that Stefan wasn’t readyfor the NHL. Odds on Blatny comingback to the ICE? Unless he picks it up anotch or two in Atlanta, look for theshifty Czech sniper to be back in an ICEuniform this season.

Other NHL Camp Notables:

Dean Arsene – Vancouver Canucks. Arseneearned a walk-on invite from theCanucks and is hopeful to garner someattention and maybe score a minor-league deal. Outlook: Arsene’simmediate future is with the ICE for hisoverage season, although a contract forthe hard-working blueliner isn’t entirelyout of the question.

Jarret Stoll – Calgary Flames. By allaccounts Stoll has played well at his firstever NHL camp and as turned a fewheads. That being said Stoll is at least ayear away unless the Flames getdesperate for a new marketing slogan –Young Guns II – The New Crop. Lookfor Stoll to contend for a Flames rosterspot in 2000.

Quick Hits – The B.J. Boxma tradewatch continues with earnest. Onepossible destination could be theLethbridge Hurricanes. With theannouncement that ‘Canes incumbentBrady Block has left the club to pursueother interests has left Lethbridgewithout a bonafide starter. The BrandonWheat Kings were also looking for anetminder when expected starter RobertMcVicar accepted a scholarship to theUniversity of Maine. The Wheatiesseemed to have solved that problemwhen they traded for 20 yr old ShaunFleming of the Regina Pats for futureconsiderations.

Kudos to the WHL Board of Directorsfor nipping the already drawn out sagaof the Tri-Cities Americans ownershipsituation in the bud by naming Victoriabusinessman Wayne Overland as thesuccessful purchaser. With the potentialmess behind them, the Board and theirnewly hired Commissioner RonRobinson can get on with business ofhockey and the fruition of the newVancouver franchise next season.